Automatic electric meter



July 31, 1923. v 1,463,170 M. 0. s. MADSEN v AUJ'IOMATIC- ELECTRIC METERFiled Nov, 4, 1922 3 sheets-sheet l V Inven/or 1 .Ma'f/zias Ar/om ey.

July 31, 1923.

M- O. S. MADSEN AUTOMATI C ELECTRIC METEh Filed Nov. 4; 1922 3.Sheets-Sheet 2 /b v v per reg/n Mao/sen s 'nuame M. O. S. MADSENAUTOMATIC EIILECTRIC METER Filed Nov. 4, 1922 3 Shanta-Sheet 5 IMafia/as Odi Sever/n Madsen. oer W Hfforney.

MATHIAS ODIN SEVEBIN MADSEN, or ,AARHUS, DENMARK, AssIGnon To; or'ro'j VKBISTIAN HEESCH, or Animus, DENMARK.

" "Au'roMATIo ELECTRIC METER;

Application filed November 4,. 1922. Serial No. 599,133

To all to 710m it may concern:

Be it known that I, MATHIAs ODIN SEV- ERIN BIADSEN, subject of the Kingof Denmark, residing at Aarhus, Denmark, have invented certain new anduseful Improve-- ment in Automatic Electric Meters; (for which I'havefiled application in Denmark Aug. 27, 1921; in Germany Septl G, 1921;-and-in Great Britain Oct. 3, 1921) ,of WillCh' the following isaspecification. Y

of a predetermined value has been inserted, can be set in such a mannerthat it allowsof an'amount' of electricity correspondingtd the sum thusaaid in J'assmr' through the re-' spective electric meter, whereupon themech-' anismwvill automatically interrupt the passage-of current throughthe meterg 'lhe said setting can be repeated once 'orseveral timessuccessively up to a given maximum number of times, so that eithenonecoin only; "or

several may be paid in, one immediately after the other.

At e'achsetting of the mechanism; which is rendered possibleby theinsertion of coin, a member which effects the'closing and the opening ofthe circuit, is shifted a eer tain distance away' from the position inwhich it effects the opening of the circuit;

1 and when the meter is in operation; it will,

in a suitable manner, move thesaid member the sum of moneycorrespondingito the coin inserted, is thus directly in proportion tothe lengthlof the distance} through'which the said member can be shiftedafterthe-in -Q sertion of a coin. The automatic mechanism is, in knownmanner, arranged sov thatthis shifting can be regulated Withinwidelimits, 7

sothat the electric'automaton can at any time be regulated tocorrespondtoitherate's of charge for electriccurrent exist ng at the time; r

In the accompanying drawing acollsv f uc V tional' form ofthefli'nvention issho'wn 'in which:

Figure 1 g V maticmechanism with the various parts in is 'a we view erawaits if the positions in which they will be when the:

passage of current .through the electric: 5.

meter cannot takeplace.

:Figture. 2 is sidev view thereof, Landf. e

s Figure 3 is a front view,-showing the mechanism inthe posltlon for thepassage of current,-tl1e"d1sc containing the insertion slot and asetting disc attached to gsamebe},

ing removed. 1 i

The automatic mechanism" consistsof "a disc 1, Figure 1 with a coininsertion slot;

2, a setting'disc 3 disposed-withinthe said wheel 4:; which contains aplurality'of radial coin channels 5. which" extend to the periphery'of.theewheel; sai'd parts are al-' ready known "and shall,therefore','gnotbe h'ere'idiscus'sedany further. It may only 77, withtheratchet and.carrier-wheel- 4c, and

that thereupon, by mea ns of' the handle 7;:

thedisc 3 and wheel 4 can be turned'through a central angle in thedire'ctionof the arrow 1n Figure 1. As soon asth1s turning ceases";

the -coinwill drop do n into aj'coin -con tainer; whereupon the,settingfdisc 3, as

soon asthe handle 7 is released ,wi1l,' under action. of spring, bereturnedlin to its normal position, whilst the returning of the wheel isprevented bya pawl 8. N In asuitable, fixed -holderis revoluloly but notshiftably fitted a nut 9,*Fig'ure 2,

on the one end of jwhichis formed or fitted a bevel gear which mesheswithfia bevel gearqll, Figure 3, one shaft 12;:w hich'is of its length,-which shaft is coaxially dis-"f posedwith the stud .6,'and that'part'ofsaid shaft which is in FigureQ totherightof the threaded part, is of'a'squaresection and carries the ratchet and carrier wheel; 1', throughwhich the shaft passes shiftab'ly (but, owing-to itsfs'quare section,not revolu'bly'). (The'sliaft is therefore turned to;

gether the wheel 4, when thelatter' is in the aforedescribedmannerturned, ;by aid of a' coin insertdg through a' given'fangle,

and as the nut 9 is held or locked by thebevel gearing 10, 11 whilst thesaid turning of wheel a takes; place, and works of the meter are notoperating, the; result will. be that the shaft 13 is axially shifted,the

length o this axial displacement being in proportion to the anglethrough, which the 'wheel 4 is turned. This shifting of shaft 13 ofshaft 18; is prevented by the pawl 8 holding back wheel The consequenceis that the shaft 18. receives an. axial motion which, however, proceedsin a direction opposite to the direction of the previous axial move-swant, i. e. to the left in Figure 2. It is these movements which arehere utilized for the object in view. n oithe path of the coin in one ofthe coin; slots there extends (when the mechanism hasopencd, the circuitof the P etfil) he. B aming outer end of an arm 14;, Figure l;whichis'fixed; on a revoluble shaft 15, Fig-V ure 2-,, on-Twhich is.also fixed another, bent x 1 The Outer end of the latter bears against apin 17, which is secured eccentricallykin the one end of a revolublc.contac cylinder 18,011 the periphery of which is disposed a. contact,piece 19 to. contact with a contact spring 20. The, cylinder 18 is under7 nfluence; of a coiled spring (torsional Spring) 21 which; tends tohold it in the, position shown in; Figure 1, in which the contact springis not in, contact with the contactfpiece, so; that the circuit of themeter ends nt h path. of t e 1 c n.-

wheel 4; is turned, the coin, which is now in one of the slots 5- ofsaid wheel, will abut against theslanting end of arm let and turn 7the'shaft: l5 a 1 1d with the latter also the arm 16in such a manner,that the last named arm, by! pressing on the pin 17', will turn thecontact cylinder 18 into the position shown in, Figure 3' with thecontact piece 19 in contactwith the contact spring 20, and as. soon asthe. cylinder has reached this po sition, the one end of a doublearmedlever 22underaction of a. spring 27 will engage in a. notch, 23 in aflange 24: on said cylinder whereby: the ylinder is locked. Therespective,,cQ 1sumer may now obtain; current through e m e V Thef'other end of the lever 22 forms an abutment25whichfmay project into thepath ofthe. shaft'13. The end 26 of shaft 13, see Figure 2, is, movedaway from said abutment 25 when the said shaft 13, is turned togetherwith wheel 4 through the available angle by means of the handle 7' andunder cooperation of the coin, inserted.

If thereupon another coin is inserted, the end 26 of the shaft 13 may beremoved by the same distance further from th abutment 25 whilst thecontact cylinder remains in its effective position, and so on, until theshaft 13 cannot be shifted any further to the right (Figure After theGlQCdZ-I-iOjlllQtBI has in the aforedescribed manner been brought intoan operative condition by the setting of the automatic mechanism,whichhas been rendered possible by the insertion of one or severalcoins, current can be supplied} until the amount of current consumedhas,-by passing through the, meter, caused the meter Works to turn thenut 9" vand thus shift theshaft 13 so far tov the left (Figure 2) thatthe end 26v of said shaft 13, will by abutting against the abutment 25turn the lever 22 out of engagement with the notch 23 in; the flange 24:of the cylinder 18, h s-s oon as this takes place, the spring 21 willturn the con-tact cylinder 18 into the position shown in Figure 1 inwhich the contact piece 19 is out of contact with the contact spring20'. The meter circuit; is then opened and can only be closed again byacoin being inserted into the automaton and the wheel 4 being thereuponturned. a

As the operation of the automaticmechanism is apparent from theforegoing de scription, said operation need only bebriefly explained.After a coin has been inserted, the wheel; t is, by means of the handle7 turned in the direction of the arrow in Fig ure l through such angleas the mechanism willallow: This turning-of wheel ll-has theefiect thatthe and f; the shaft 13 is removed by a certain. distance, rom the abut-'ment 25 on the oneend oflever 22, and

during the latter; part of this; turning the com will abut against thearm 1e, whereby 'the'a-rm '15 andwvith it arm. 16: is turned in such amanner, that thelatte-r arm turns the contact cylinder 18 into operativeposition, Figure 8 The meter is now in operativei position and thecontact cylinder is locked by thelever, 22 engaging in the notch 23.until the ends 26, of shaft 13, in consequence of the axial movementwhich said shaft 13 receives bythe, working of'the meter mechanism,releases. the; lever from the notch 23;.by pressing against the abutment25.. ,As soon as this takes-place, the con tact cylinder isturned underaction of the spring into its inoperative position, Figure l. Theamountof electricity which can beobtained for a coin of a given value.is thus determined by. the fact: that, the. meter, through which saidelectricity must pass, and which by its consequent operation, will shiftthe shaft 13, will, allow of a passage of current only until saidshifting has reached a predetermined value. 7

Said value may, in known manner, be regulated by the disc 1 beingadjusted into such a position, that the coin slot 2 will be located at agreater or" lesser angle from the position which the coin insertedassumes when the Wheel 4, which receives the coin, has been turned intoits terminal position.

I claim:

1. Stop mechanism for an electric meter having coin controlled-mechanismof the type described, comprising a rotary cylinder, a spring forrotating the cylinder in one direction, a contact piece on the cylinder,a contact member capable of engaging said contact piece when thecylinder is in one position and the circuit is closed, and

coin controlled means for moving the cylinder to bring the contactmembers into engagement with each other comprising a shaft, an armsecured to the shaft and capable of extending into the path of the coinin the coin controlled mechanism, a second arm fixed on the same shaft,and a projection on the end of the cylinder and extending into the pathof the said second arm, so that the said spring acting upon the cylinderholds the first mentioned arm in the path or" the coin when the contactsare out of engagement,

andthe movement of the coin operates the said arms and projection tobring the contacts into engagement with each other.

2, Stop mechanismfor an electric meter having coin controlled mechanismof the type described, comprising a rotary cylinder, a spring forrotating the cylinder in one direction, a contact piece on the peripheryof the cylinder, a spring carrying a contact member for engaging thecontact piece on the cylinder when the circuit is closed' and thecylinder is held in one position, and coin controlled means for movingthe cylinder to bringthe contact members into engagement with eachother, comprising a shaft, an arm secured to the shaft and capable ofextendinginto the path of the coin in the coin controlled mechanism, asecond arm fixed on the same shaft, and a projectionon the end of thecylinder and extending into the path of the said second arm, so that thesaid spring acting upon the cylinder holds the first mentioned arm inthe path of the coin when the contacts are out of en -1 gagement, andthe 'movement'of the coin operates the said arms and projection to bringthe contacts into engagement with each other.

3. Stop mechanism for an electric meterhaving coin controlled mechanismof the type described, comprising arotary cylinder, aspring for rotatingthecylinder in I one direction, a contact piece on the peripheryof thecylinder, a spring carrying .a con tact member for engaging the contact;piece on the cylinder when the circuit is-closed and the cylinder is,held in one position, and

coin controlled means/formoving the cylinder to bring the contactmembers into engagem'ent with each other comprising a rocking shaft, anarm secured to the shaft and capable of extending into the path of thecoin in the coin controlled mechanism and having a slanting outer endfor engagement with the coin, abent arm fixed on the same shaft and apin projecting outwards from the end. of the cylinder and located in thepath of the extreme outer end of the bent arm, so that thesaid; springacting upon the cylinder holds the slantingend of the first mentionedarmin the path of thecoin when the contacts are out of engage ment, andthe movement of the coin operates the said arms and projecting pin tobring I I 3 the said contacts into engagement with each other. 7 j I jIn testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.vv MATHIAS ODIN SEVERIN MADSEN.

Witnesses J AKS 'KIRCYCK,

S. E.. M. LUSULEH.

